Bottle holder for grocery carts



Sfipk- 1956 .1. H. FELTON I BOTTLE HOLDER FUR GROCERY CARTS Filed July 27', 1953 INVENTOR e @WV HUM A80 FflfO/b;

ATTORNEY United States Patent F BOTTLE HOLDER FGR GROCERY CARTS John Howard Felton, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to The Coca- Cola Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 27, 1953, Serial No. 370,453

1 Claim. (Cl. 224-42.46)

This invention relates to carrying devices, and more particularly to a new and improved bottle holder which is especially adapted to be attached to grocery carts of the type generally found in chain stores and so-called supermarkets.

Such places commonly provide dispensing machines for bottled soft drinks, the housewife or other shopper frequently taking time out in the course of her purchasing duties for such refreshment; and another source of revenue being thereby provided for the location. There is a restless tendency, however, for many shoppers to wander off from that part of the store where the bottle vending machine is located, and when the recently purchased beverage has been consumed, to put the empty bottle down at a remote point. This creates both a traffic and a sanitation hazard, it being apparent that one can trip on an empty bottle thus placed on the floor and sprain an ankle or sustain more substantial injuries, particularly if an actual fall occurs.

There is also a potential hazard from broken glass in the case of bottles thus indiscriminately distributed.

Finally, it is apparent that thus scattering bottles throughout a place of business tends to lend an unsightly appearance thereto, and again, empty bottles in which a sugar-containing soft drink has been merchandised, tend to attract insects and the like, and thereby present a sanitation problem, which factor is also present when a quantity of the beverage formerly contained in the bottle is permitted to spill on the floor.

There also exists a problem sounding in advertising, it being the policy of most chain organizations not to normally permit advertising of any one soft drink on their premises, the large number of such products on the market precluding the favoring of one manufacturer over another.

An object of my invention is to provide a bottle carrier that may be semi-permanently attached to a grocery cart.

Another object is to make possible such a device at small cost.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a bottle carrier which is adapted to display advertising material.

Another object is to provide a device of the instant type which is attractive in appearance.

Another object is to make possible economy and long wear in a bottle carrier.

Another object is to insure simplicity and elimination of moving parts from such a device.

These and other objects made apparent during the further progress of this specification are accomplished by means of my improved bottle carrier, a full and complete understanding of which is facilitated by reference to the drawings herein, in which:

Fig. l is a view in front elevation;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of said structure.

2,763,413 Patented Sept. 18, 1956 Fig. 4 is a view partially in vertical cross-section of the instant bottle carrier, taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a view in horizontal cross-section of my device, taken along the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that subject bottle carrier comprises one or more composite unitary holding elements 10, preferably formed from cadmium plated steel rods of generally circular cross-section, said rods being bent or otherwise formed to provide a plurality of hook-like elements 11 adapted to be crimped to a structural member of a grocery cart or the like, and thereby semi-permanently afiixed or attached thereto. Adjacent these upper hook portions, said rods are bent to form a circular structure 12 of a diameter slightly in excess of that of the ordinary beverage bottle, said rods extending downwardly as at 13, and then being carried rearwardly at right angles to form parallel bottom-supporting elements 14, which are of a spaced width somewhat less than that of the base of a conventional bottle at this point; said rods then being carried upwardly as at 15 to ultimately form hooks 11, as described heretofore. In order to afford added rigidity to the structure, elements 15 are united to circular members 12 as at 16, preferably through pressure resistant welds, and horizontally extending members 17 are anchored to rods 13 in a similar manner.

This joinder is further implemented by means of a flat metallic element 18, the ends of which are curved around members 13 as at 19; said surface 18 being in the nature of a sign adapted to carry appropriate advertising, usually for a soft drink.

The operation of my device is readily apparent, it being clear that once the carrier has been attached to a grocery cart such as commonly found in self-service food markets, that there is provided a convenient nesting place for one or more soft drink bottles. The sides of the holder are sufiiciently high to prevent such containers from tipping therein, or falling therefrom, and the housewife can redeposit her soft drink in the holder from time to time as she goes about a store, refreshing herself as she shops. It is further apparent that when a bottle is empty, it will be left in the holder as the customer checks out and departs from the premises, it then being possible to quickly and easily collect empty bottles at the point in the store where carts are commonly parked when not in use. Such packages may then be deposited in the usual empty shells provided by soft drink manufacturers for this purpose; said shells then being stacked at a designated point preparatory to be removed. It is further apparent that my device is economical to manufacture, yet thoroughly adapted to its intended purposes. That it is substantially self-cleaning in that it affords very little surface to which dirt or debris of any kind can become attached. That it is simple to operate, attractive in appearance, and susceptible to long and continued use.

Finally, it will be apparent that by providing advertising space on such a device, a bottler is thereby enabled to get advertising into stores and places where this has not heretofore been possible, the surface allotted to this assignment being likewise functional in its nature, serving to both assist in holding together a plurality of individual bottle carriers, and also to add strength to the composite structure. Chain stores will not normally remove advertising found on subject carriers, even when they purchase these devices themselves, their utility and economy being such as to make them welcome additions to any location.

While I have described a preferred form of my invention in some detail herein, it is apparent that certain changes, alterations, additions and the like may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claim, which is to be given a construction and vertically extending downwardly opening hook-like pivot- ;ing locking members to the rear said locking members being adapted to be crimped to the upper structural member of a grocery cart, thereby permitting the holder to be flipped over outside the cart when it is desired to transport a full load therein, or to be reversed to operative position for bottle carrying or cart stacking purposes; said circular -member extending downwardly at its front and then being carried rearwardly to form spaced parallel members for receiving and supporting the base of a bottle, and hence extending upwardly to said locking members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hornaday May 24, 1927 Sebring Sept. 17, 1940 Burns Apr. 14, 1942 Wooten Aug. 25, 1942 Muniz Mar. 31, 1953 

